Government set to squash “sensible” pet deposits compromise

Government set to squash “sensible” pet deposits compromise

The House of Lords has backed an amendment to the Renters Rights Bill to require tenants keeping pets to pay an extra deposit to cover any damage to a rented property.

The Bill, which is currently going through the House of Lords and which will be debated there again next week, will allow tenants to request to have a pet, and landlords will not be able to ‘unreasonably’ refuse. 

A previous requirement for tenants keeping a pet to take out a specific insurance to cover damage by the animal was dropped by the government, which claims the insurance industry is unprepared for the scale of potential demand for such policies. 

However, Lord de Clifford – who is also director of a veterinary practice – proposed in the Lords this week that a pet damage deposit of an additional three weeks’ rent as a deposit.

David Smith – Property Litigation Partner at the law firm Spector Constant & Williams – says: “The House of Lords’ decision to reject the removal of a dedicated protection for pet-related damage is a welcome and sensible intervention. While encouraging pet ownership is important, it must be balanced against the legitimate interests of landlords in preserving their property.

“The existing five-week cap on deposits was never designed to account for the additional risks pets can introduce. Replacing the now-abandoned insurance requirement with a modest, refundable pet deposit strikes a fair compromise, offering landlords reassurance while still supporting responsible pet ownership. Sadly, this amendment while a pragmatic recognition of the realities of property management, is not supported by the government and, like others pushed through by the Lords is extremely unlikely to survive into the final Bill.”

This article is taken from Landlord Today